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Jhoo Dong-chan

Korea Times AI content 2 team Reporter

Do not go gentle into that good night, old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light, though wise men at their end know dark is right, because their words had forked no lightning they, do not go gentle into that good night.

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Companies

Starbucks Korea teams up with local farmers to support small cafes

Starbucks Korea has unveiled its eighth “shared growth” beverage — a Sangju Shine Muscat Ade crafted with locally sourced grapes from North Gyeongsang Province — as part of an ongoing initiative to help independent coffee shops boost sales and sharpen their competitive edge. The company held a handover ceremony Aug. 3 at its Seoul support center, attended by officials from the Korea Commission for Corporate Partnership and a national cooperative representing independent cafe owners. Starbucks launched the program in March 2022, becoming the first coffee company to sign a "cafe industry shared growth agreement" with the Korea Commission for Corporate Partnership and the cafe owners' cooperative. Under the agreement, Starbucks has developed and shared drink recipes using local agricultural products, supported recovery efforts after natural disasters and helped improve aging cafe facilities. Over the past five years, the company said it has provided about 1 billion won ($694,000) in related funding. The shared drinks have become known as an effective way for Starbucks to pass along

Aug 4, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Starbucks Korea teams up with local farmers to support small cafes
Environment & Animals

Busan to provide 1-year free pet insurance for adopted rescue dogs

Busan Metropolitan City will provide one year of free pet insurance to residents who adopt rescued dogs from designated animal shelters and adoption centers, as part of an initiative to encourage pet adoption and reduce the financial burden on new owners. The 2026 Rescue Animal Pet Insurance Program continues a city initiative launched in 2023 to help adopted dogs settle into new homes by covering veterinary expenses that may arise during the early stages of adoption. Eligible applicants are residents who adopt a rescue dog from one of Busan's designated municipal animal shelters or adoption centers on or after Jan. 1, 2026, and complete mandatory microchip registration for the animal. The program covers dogs adopted through five contracted municipal animal shelters and two adoption centers, including the Busan Companion Animal Welfare and Culture Center and the Haeundae-gu Rescue Animal Adoption Center. New adopters can apply for the insurance at the shelter or adoption center when completing the adoption process. Those who have already adopted a rescue dog after Jan. 1, 2026 may also en

Aug 4, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Busan to provide 1-year free pet insurance for adopted rescue dogs
Companies

Hyundai E&C tests water-spraying drone at demolition site

Hyundai Engineering & Construction (Hyundai E&C) said it is expanding the use of unmanned robots for environmental and safety management at construction sites after completing a field test of a water-spraying drone aimed at reducing dust during demolition work. The company said it recently completed the test at the site of the Gwacheon Jugong Complexes 8 and 9 redevelopment project in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, evaluating the drone's performance, flight stability and how well it functioned alongside demolition workers in an active work environment. Demolition sites face a dual challenge of reducing airborne dust while keeping workers safe. Dust suppression is an essential part of environmental management at such sites, but the process of spraying water can itself create hazards, including slipping, electric shock and collisions with heavy equipment. Those risks are heightened in areas such as upper floors or structurally unstable sections where it is difficult for workers or equipment to reach. In the test, Hyundai E&C deployed the drone over dust-generating areas of the site, spraying

Aug 4, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Hyundai E&C tests water-spraying drone at demolition site
Korean Heritage

Korea exports heritage restoration expertise worldwide

Two decades of sharing preservation expertise — painstakingly restoring ancient wooden architecture, analyzing historic pigments and fortifying archaeological sites — with neighbors across Asia have culminated in a broader mission for Korea: opening those specialized vaults to the rest of the world. The National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, an arm of the Korea Heritage Service, officially launched the International Cooperation Program on Conservation (ICPC) on Tuesday. The intensive 60-day initiative marks a major strategic expansion of Korea’s flagship technical training program, which had previously focused exclusively on regional Asian partnerships. Following a highly competitive selection process that drew applicants from 31 countries, five distinguished experts were selected for the inaugural global cohort: David Nkusi of the University of Rwanda, Zilola Tulkinova of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Phub Thinley of the National Library and Archives of Bhutan, Fernando Andres Zambrano Luque of Ecuador’s National Institute of Cultural Herita

Aug 4, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Korea exports heritage restoration expertise worldwide
Health

Sweating for savings: Korea's exercise incentive program sees participation double

Korea’s national experiment in paying its citizens to exercise is paying off — so quickly, in fact, that its doubled budget has already run dry. Participation in Teunteun Money, a government initiative that rewards people with cash-equivalent points for working out, has roughly doubled this year, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Tuesday. Even after officials halved the reward rate per 30-minute workout session to manage demand, public enthusiasm for the health scheme only continued to climb. By the end of July, nearly 700,000 citizens had earned points through the system, up from roughly 317,000 during the same period last year. More importantly for public health officials, participants aren't just signing up — they are spending significantly more time exercising. Excluding promotional sign-up bonuses, the average time spent exercising per participant rose by 19 percent year-on-year, adding roughly two additional hours of physical activity per person. Now in its fourth year, the program, whose name uses a Korean phrase roughly meaning "sturdy money," allows partici

Aug 4, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Sweating for savings: Korea's exercise incentive program sees participation double
Companies

L7 Hongdae by LOTTE opens rooftop 'Neoguri' noodle pop-up with Nongshim

L7 Hongdae by LOTTE has partnered with Nongshim, one of Korea's largest instant noodle makers, to open "Neoguri's Ramyun Shop," a pop-up experience built around the company's popular Neoguri brand, a spicy seafood-flavor known for their thick, udon-style noodles. The pop-up is centered on the hotel's 22nd-floor rooftop pool, where guests can cook and eat Nongshim noodles while taking in views of the city, combining a swim with a warm snack. The noodles are served with Lotte Hotel's signature seasoned kimchi and bottled water for 10,000 won ($7). The hotel has created several links to Neoguri, a raccoon-dog mascot that has represented the noodle brand since it launched in 1982. The rooftop pool area has been styled as a "pool party with DJ Neoguri," featuring a photo zone with headphones, sunglasses and other props related to the character. On the 21st floor, the hotel's Blue Roof Lounge has been redesigned and modeled on a hotel reception desk featuring a branded photo zone with Neoguri and other Nongshim products, along with a "Memory Wall" where visitors can leave their own messages. The

Aug 4, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
L7 Hongdae by LOTTE opens rooftop 'Neoguri' noodle pop-up with Nongshim
Companies

OpenAI to hold 1st Codex game development event in Korea

OpenAI said Tuesday it will hold a one-day, in-person hackathon on Aug. 31 built around Codex, the company's artificial intelligence (AI) coding agent, marking its first event anywhere dedicated to game development with the tool. The event, called the OpenAI Game Builders Seoul, will bring together Korean developers to explore new approaches to building games with Codex, under the theme "Build with Codex, Play with Hive." It is supported by Com2uS, one of Korea's leading game companies. Legendary developer Jake Song, who helped shape the history of Korean MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role-playing games) through titles including "The Kingdom of the Winds," "Lineage" and "ArcheAge," will take part throughout the event and discuss how Codex inspired his return to hands-on game development. Additional participating developers are expected to be announced later on the event website. Codex is OpenAI's coding agent, which supports the full software development cycle, including writing, modifying and testing code, based on natural-language instructions. Meanwhile, Hive is Com2uS' game bac

Aug 4, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
OpenAI to hold 1st Codex game development event in Korea
Defense

Korean independence heroes buried abroad granted symbolic passports

Decades after dying on foreign soil in the fierce struggle against Japan's 1910-45 colonial occupation, 30 Korean independence activists whose remains still lie buried abroad are receiving a symbolic homecoming. To mark the upcoming Aug. 15 Liberation Day, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Korean food company Binggrae have launched a nationwide public campaign titled "The Brightest Passport of Korea." The joint initiative presents official honorary passports to the surviving descendants of independence patriots who passed away in foreign countries prior to Korea’s liberation on Aug. 15, 1945, and whose resting places remain overseas. Modeled directly after modern Korean passports, the custom travel documents incorporate historical records and design elements commemorating the anticolonial movement, including archival photographs, excerpts from historic resistance newspapers, the national flag, Harbin Station — where independence hero Ahn Jung-geun struck a decisive blow against Japanese imperialism in Manchuria — and the Sinheung Mi

Aug 4, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Korean independence heroes buried abroad granted symbolic passports
People & Events

Korea launches big data contest to boost regional tourism

As data analytics increasingly shape how modern cities manage crowd flows and revitalize neighborhood economies, Korea’s official tourism agency is turning to the public for innovative ways to turn massive data sets into real-world economic strategy. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in tandem with the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), announced on Tuesday the launch of the 2026 Korea Tourism Data Lab Contest. Running through late September, the nationwide initiative invites individuals, researchers and businesses to demonstrate how insights harvested from the country’s official tourism data portal can solve pressing industry challenges, optimize local festival planning and boost regional spending. The contest comes during a period of surging engagement for the platform. In the first half of this year alone, the Korea Tourism Data Lab logged an average of 780,000 monthly visitors — a 23.6 percent increase compared to the same period of 2025, driving cumulative traffic past 5 million users. Meanwhile, media citations referencing the portal’s behavioral analytics have l

Aug 4, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Korea launches big data contest to boost regional tourism
Travel & Food

Seoul overhauls flagship tourism portal for international visitors

Navigating a foreign metropolis often requires juggling a dozen smartphone apps: one for transit, another for local weather and a handful more for restaurant reviews and map directions. Now, Korea’s capital is moving to replace that digital sprawl with a single, consolidated hub for international visitors. The Seoul Tourism Organization announced Tuesday a sweeping overhaul of the user interface for VisitSeoul, the city’s official multilingual tourism portal. Designed to serve as a one-stop digital companion, the updated site integrates real-time environmental alerts, localized transit routes and streamlined social sharing directly into its destination pages. The portal, which clocked over 8 million visits last year across seven languages — including English, Japanese, Chinese and Russian — was redesigned in direct response to user feedback. Previously, travelers looking up iconic landmarks like Gyeongbok Palace or N Seoul Tower had to jump between external platforms to check local conditions or plot out train connections. Under the new interface, every location page serves as a

Aug 4, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Seoul overhauls flagship tourism portal for international visitors
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